Marquette’s Ben Leas named state Player of the Year

By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

MARSHFIELD — Marshfield Columbus Catholic senior Tyler Fuerlinger was named to the Best of the Rest, or honorable mention, list of the 2016 Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association All-State Boys Soccer Team.

Fuerlinger, the Mid-State Soccer Conference Player of the Year and a unanimous first-team all-conference selection, helped the Dons to a 20-3 record, a conference championship, and a berth in the WIAA Division 4 sectional semifinals.

Fuerlinger, a senior, played the defensive midfielder/stopper position for the Dons, had 19 goals and two assists this season.

“Ten of his goals were scored with his head off of set plays,” Columbus Catholic coach Jeff Edwards said. “He was absolutely dominant in the air.”

Ben Leas, a senior defender for Division 1 state champion Milwaukee Marquette, was named state Player of the Year and was among the 11 players named to the all-state first team, which included D.C. Everest standout and Wisconsin Valley Conference Player of the Year Jack Mittelsteadt.

No Marshfield players were named to the all-state team.

(Hub City Times Sports Reporter Paul Lecker is also the publisher of MarshfieldAreaSports.com.)

2016 Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association All-State Boys Soccer Team

Player of the Year: Ben Leas, sr., defender, Milwaukee Marquette.

Division 1-2 Coach of the Year: Christopher Becker, Green Bay Preble.

Division 3-4 Coach of the Year: Mike Marse, Delavan-Darien.

Private Schools Coach of the Year: Ben Lake, Racine St. Catherine’s.

First Team

Midfielders: Alex Mirsberger, jr., Brookfield Central; Antonio De Castro, sr., Green Bay Preble; Nicholas Anguil-Andriacchi, sr., Whitefish Bay; Zak Wager, sr., Hartland Arrowhead.

Defenders: Ben Leas, sr., Milwaukee Marquette; Donte Bova, sr., Hartland Arrowhead; Shawn Azcueta, jr., Whitefish Bay.

Forwards: Bradan Allen, sr., Middleton; Jack Mittelsteadt, sr., D.C. Everest; Nick Cheung, jr., Milwaukee Marquette.

Goalkeeper: Elian Haddock, jr., Whitefish Bay.

Second Team

Midfielders: Derek Waleffe, jr., Middleton; Lamin Jarju, sr., Oshkosh North; Matthew Comiskey, jr,. Whitefish Bay; Sam Holton, sr., Milwaukee Marquette.

Forwards: Alberto Martinez, sr., Beloit Memorial; Isaac Putzier, sr., Green Bay Preble; Jackson Dryden, jr., Whitefish Bay; Jaden Neumann, jr., Mount Horeb; Matt Fernandes, sr., Waukesha West; Tigrio Huerta, sr., Delavan-Darien.

Goalkeeper: Joe Jochem, sr., Milwaukee Marquette.

Best of the Rest (Honorable Mention)

Midfielders: Andrew Schweinert, jr., Brookfield Central; Benny Boelter, sr., Hartland Arrowhead; Caleb Blair, so., McFarland; Cameron Briggs, jr., Oconomowoc; Dominic Lambo, jr., Milwaukee Marquette; Eric Peterson, jr., Cedarburg; Gerardo Rodriguez, sr., Delavan-Darien; Griffin Pecore, jr., Bay Port; Harrison Fuhr, sr., Phillips; Isai Luevano, St. Lawrence Seminary; Jonathan Soto, sr., Milwaukee Bradley Tech/Carmen; Kevin Garcia, jr., Evansville; Lucas Morris, sr., Waukesha Catholic Memorial; Michael Henry, sr., Manitowoc; Mike Howell, sr., Greendale; Nick Jatta, sr., Sun Prairie; Scott Biancofiori, sr., Milton; Tyler Fuerlinger, sr., Marshfield Columbus Catholic; Zuhad Ansari, sr., Kimberly.

Defenders: Alex Hummel, sr., Green Bay Preble; Davis Green, jr., Sun Prairie; Jacob Olp, sr., New Berlin Eisenhower; Jamie Rodriguez, jr., Delavan-Darien; Jared Short, sr., Cedarburg; Jonnie Winkler, sr., Mount Horeb; Lance Janowski, sr., Green Bay Preble; Nate Brody, sr., Madison West; Robby Zimmerman, sr., Oconomowoc; Tate Resch-Gauger, sr., Appleton Xavier.

Forwards: Alejandro Muro, sr., Oak Creek; Andres Villarreal, jr., Racine St. Catherine’s; Austen Schweinert, jr., Brookfield Central; Connor Provan, sr., Sussex Hamilton; Cris Trypak, sr., Hartford; Derrick Ten Dolle, sr., Oostburg; Hunter Holmes, sr., Rice Lake; Jack Longville, jr., Eau Claire Memorial; Joey Pumo, sr., Waukesha North; Jonah Bakunowicz, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Kollin McGregor, sr., Berlin; Luke Meihack, sr., Winnebago Lutheran; Noal Baldwin, sr., Cedarburg; Seth Boldt, sr., Waupaca.

Goalkeeper: Josh Balicki, sr., Waukesha Catholic Memorial.